Lerato Mbhiza
The Gauteng Department of Health has confirmed the arrest of the bogus doctor Matthew Lani as he tried to escape after he made his way to the main entrance of Helen Joseph Hospital on Sunday night.
In a statement, the Department of Health said ‘Dr Matthew Lani’ was caught just before 8pm disguised in a hoodie wearing a surgical mask with a stethoscope around his neck.
Lani had previously entered the hospital to curate misleading content under the pretence that he was a qualified doctor, the Department said.
“Immediately after being apprehended, Lani requested to go to the bathroom only to attempt to escape by jumping through the bathroom window. When the security realised that he was making a run for it, they called for reinforcement and he was subsequently apprehended agan”.
Before his arrest, Lani’s more than 4 000 social media followers watched him in a video showing he was in a semi-dark parking lot, wearing a sweater, a face mask, and a theatre cap.
He briefly makes his way into the facility, announcing his whereabouts to his followers. After he was spotted on CCTV cameras, it took about five security guards to restrain the bogus medical doctor, now seen wearing a SpongeBob T-shirt sans the mask and stethoscope.
The 27-year-old Lani was a wanted man following a social media frenzy about his qualifications where he was called out for parading as a medical doctor, giving unsolicited medical advice on TikTok, when he had no qualifications.
Gauteng health spokesperson Motalatale Modiba confirmed Lani’s capture while entering the main entrance of the facility and that at the time of his arrest, he tried to escape.
The bogus doctor is already in hot water with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) as well as the University of Witwatersrand, which have distanced themselves from him.
Cambridge International College also indicated that it will be taking legal action against him.
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